Art Education BA
- Major
- BA
- In-Person
- Greeley
- Licensure: Visual Art (Grades K-12)
4 Years
Program Overview
UNC’s Bachelor of Arts in Art Education prepares students to become thoughtful, skilled, and adaptable K–12 visual arts teachers. Students grow as artists while learning to design meaningful curriculum, teach across artistic media and grade levels, support diverse learners, manage creative classrooms, and assess artistic learning. The program intentionally connects studio art, art history, educational theory, and teaching practice — with early school visits, hands-on work with K–12 learners, and supported teaching experience building toward a full student-teaching placement and eligibility for Colorado K–12 visual arts teacher licensure.
Ready to begin your path toward becoming an art educator? Getting started is simple. There is no separate application or additional admission process for the Art Education program. Once you are admitted to UNC, you can declare Art Education as your major.
As you progress through the program, typically during your sophomore or junior year, you’ll complete additional requirements related to teacher preparation and K–12 licensure.
This four year plan is a recommended schedule to complete this bachelor’s degree in 4 years. Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance.
Why Choose Art Education at UNC
Learn by Doing, From Day One
Students don't wait until student teaching to enter classrooms — through school visits, field experiences, and supported teaching opportunities, they experience how art education changes across grade levels, schools, and communities.
A Program That Knows You by Name
UNC's close-knit Art Education community means faculty know your artwork, your teaching goals, and where you are in the licensure process — with individual support through lesson planning, portfolios, Praxis prep, field placements, and the transition into your first classroom.
Develop Your Own Teaching Philosophy
Students are encouraged to explore different approaches to art education and develop as artists and educators at the same time — rather than follow one "right" model of an art teacher.
Discover Your Creative Potential
What You'll Study
- Drawing & 2D/3D Design Foundations
- Studio Practice (Ceramics, Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking, Digital Media, Metalsmithing, Photography, Graphic Design)
- Art History and Curatorial Studies
- Curriculum & Instruction in Art
- K-12 Clinical Experiences
- Cultural Studies in the K-12 Curriculum
- Educational Foundations & How Students Learn
- Student Teaching
From Studio to Classroom
Every Art Education student begins with the same Foundations sequence as other Art & Design majors, then builds studio range across ceramics, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and digital media alongside coursework in art history and teaching pedagogy. Early field experiences put students in K–12 classrooms well before student teaching, working directly with practicing art teachers and young learners. The program culminates in a full student-teaching placement and an exit-level portfolio review, preparing graduates for Colorado K–12 visual arts teacher licensure.
Training Teachers and Supporting Students, the Artistic Way
Future teachers, lasting impact
"It's valuable in that it builds these fundamental connections. The Chappelow students get to learn from college students and vice versa. It gives the kids this perspective on the future and where they can go from here."
Alison Myers
Art Education, '04 · M.A. '13 · Adjunct Faculty
Have questions? We're here to help!
- PVA@unco.edu
- (970) 351-2993
- Crabbe Hall